Listen to Your Heart
by Romulus
Summary: This is kinda a romance. Uh...R/R!
1. Chapter One

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A/D: *giggles* I own...*giggles* nothing! The characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling. The story line and most of the dialogue belongs to Francine Pascal. The two greatest authors: J.K. Rowling: Fantasy; Francine Pascal: Romance/Drama. 

A/N: *giggles* The story line might sound familiar to any Sweet Valley Saga readers. *giggles* Anyway. I worked quite hard on this. I'm pretending Ron died at the end of their sixth year, it's for the story. Part one! Read and Review! 

Listen To Your Heart: Part One

Hermione's high-pitched laugh echoed through the almost empty common room. 

"Not that again Harry! I told you! Marriage and children are not for me!" 

"But you need to settle down someday." Harry said. 

Hermione laughed again. "Oh, Harry! That is so old fashioned!" She patted his hand and closed her book. 

"But we're seventeen. You can't tell me you've never even thought about it!" Harry protested. 

"I haven't thought about it! Now I'm going to bed." She laughed again and walked up to the girl's dormitory. 

Harry sighed and walked up to his dormitory. 

Harry sat in the living room at Sirius's house. The cold December rain poured down in sheets outside. Harry paused. He heard a knock at the door. Slowly he got up and opened the front door. 

Hermione was standing there, with no hat, no coat. She was sobbing too hard to speak. After sitting her down on the sofa, he ran for a blanket, which he wrapped around her heaving shoulders.

"Tell me what's the matter. Is it about..." 

"Yes, it's Seamus." She sobbed. "Oh, Harry. I've been such a fool! I opened myself up to him-I trusted him! But the whole time he's had not one but _two _women behind my back!" 

"The scoundrel! To take advantage of an innocent girl..." Harry clenched his teeth. He couldn't say he warned her-she needed comfort, not criticism. "Herm. He didn't-your not..." 

"I'm not pregnant if that's what you're asking. But I cared about him. And I thought he..." Her face crumpled again. "Oh, Harry. Hold me." 

Harry put his arms around her, holding her tight.

"There, there," He murmured. "Everything will be alright." 

Gradually Hermione stopped crying. She looked up at Harry with red rimmed eyes. "I _do _feel better. I knew I would if I came to you." 

Harry felt a spark of hope ignite in his heart. For years now he had been wooing other girls without much interest, all the while loving Hermione from a distance. _She's learned the hard way about me like Seamus. Will it change her feelings toward me?_ "Then you must always come to me." 

He went into the kitchen and returned with a mug of butterbeer. Hermione sipped it gratefully. "Better?" Harry asked. 

"Better," She said. 

"I hate to see you sad." Harry sat next to her on the sofa, his arm around her shoulders. He intended to keep his opinion to himself, but suddenly he couldn't help venting it.

"You should have known better then to trust your heart to someone like that. You deserve a man who will cherish and protect you, put you on a pedestal, not drag you down in the dirt." 

Hermione shrugged off his arm and put down the mug. "That's where you're wrong. What I've learned from Seamus isn't that I need a _nicer_ man. It's that I don't need any man at all." 

__

Why did I goad her? Harry thought, wanting to kick himself. "You've always said that, but you can't really believe it, deep down in your heart." 

"My heart doesn't make my decisions." Hermione retorted. "My mind does, my intellect and common sense." 

Standing up, she handed back the damp blanket. "Sorry to barge in here and make a mess of your life as well as my own." 

"I'll always be here for you." Harry assured her. 

A minute later she forged back into the rain, taking his umbrella with her. 

His umbrella, and as always, his heart. 

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A/N: Sooooo romantic. Read and Review! PWEEESE??? There is more! 


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: This part is better. I can't believe I waited so long! I've written it all! Well...enjoy! There is some OOC. 7th year, Voldemort doesn't get defeated cus, it doesn't fit the story. They are almost 18, and I'm pretending wizards/witches are adults at 17. Kay? 

Listen To Your Heart: Part Two

Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck."In one week we graduate!" She exclaimed.   
It was Firday night and Hermione and Harry had attended many parties. Hermione knew Harry didn't feel comfortable around her friends, most of whom treated him like a celebrity, but he seemed willing to go anyplace with her.   
They were leaving their third party, which Hermione promised would be there last. "I've never seen people consume so much wine. I do believe the celebration has started already!" Harry said.   
"I only had one glass!" Hermione protested.   
"At this party. what about the other two?"   
Hermione giggled."I am a capable adult."   
"That is open to debate."   
"And besides," She flashed him her most irrestable smile,"you'll see me back to the school as you always do. Nothing bad can happen."   
On the way back to Hogwarts they stopped at The Three Broomsticks for butterbeer. Hermione chatted about her peice for the new Hogwarts paper. It was a few minutes before she relised Harry was strangley silent."What's on your mind?" She inquired.   
"Graduation." He said simply. "All this," He waved his hand vaguley,"is about to come to an end."   
"What do you mean? I plan to go on just as I am. Living in London, writting."   
"But I'm going into the Ministry. You an I won't see much of each other."   
Hermione frowned."I don't know why you have to take such a gloomy veiw of things."   
"I'm just being realistic. Thinking about the future. Haven't you thought about it at all?"   
"Of course. I've thought about the fact that with no exams and classes-"   
"You'll have no life!" Draco Malfoy yelled across The Three Broomsticks.   
"Funny. I'll have more time for what's really important to me."   
"And what's that?"   
"Well, I've always wanted to be a novelist."   
"I thought you wanted to be a teacher Granger!" Draco called again.   
"Anyway. I'll keep up my political writting, but I plan on spending at least two hours a day writting poetry and fiction."   
"What about your private life? Will there be room for anything besides work?" He pressed."For love? Marriage?"   
Hermione sighed."Are we on this subject again?"   
"Yes Hermione.." Reaching across the table, he took her hand. Hermione tried to pull away, but he held fast."We are."   
She couldn't pretend any longer that she didn't know what Harry was really talking about. A hot flush swept over her face."Harry. I'd rather not."   
"I've bottled this up for too long." He insisted, his own voice hoarse with urgency. "I knew you weren't interested, weren't ready. But we're not children anymore, Hermione. A week from now we begin our real, grown-up lives. I think we're old enough to talk openly about this."   
"This?" She sqeaked.   
"Hermione, I love you." Harry declared. "I always have, and you know it. I can't go on like this, not knowing your true feelings for me."   
Hermione stared at Harry. Deep inside she knew he had always loved her, and she took his devotion completley for granted. It was the rock her life was built on. Harry respected her need for solitude and independence. "You know I don't like that word-love" She scoffed."I don't believe in it anymore."   
"You mean you don't want to believe in it." Harry countered."Your scared of it."   
"How can I be scared of soemthing that doesn't exist? It's well enough for you, I suppose, but I've never been in love, not once."   
"What about Seamus? Or Ron?"   
A tear quickly glinted in the corner or her eye at the thought of Ron."Those were experiments, not love. I've never been in love, and I never will be."   
"Then where does that leave me? Where does that leave us?"   
"Do you want me to change?" Hermione cried."Is that it?"   
"No." Harry clenched his hands into fists."Of course I don't want you to change. How could I when I love you madly? But I've waited too long already. I won't wait forever. Excuse me if I leave you now. As you frequently remind me, your well able to take care of yourself. Goodnight Hermione."   
He stood up, collecting his coat. As Hermione watched him walk out into the night her throat tightened. She almost called out after him _Wait! I'll think about this, I promise! Just give me a little more time!_   
Then she remembered the promise she made herself when she was a little girl, and then again when she broke up with Seamus Finnagan. She was a modern woman of the 20th century. She didn't need a man to make her life complete."I will be independent." Hermione whispered, angirly dashing a tear from her cheek. "I'll show the world what a woman can do." 

A/D: I do not own any of the characters. Teh story line belongs to Francine Pascale, but some dialogue belongs to me. 

A/N: Ok. Hermione had dated Ron, but they fought a lot, then he died. She decided that no love was real, that if she ever fell in love again she would get her heart broken, and all that. There will be more. WARNING: I am a H/H shipper, and the next part was hard to write! ~hint: Not H/H(sorta...you'll see!)~ R/R!   
  
  



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